Evening Briefing: Miliband and the Mail

The row between Ed Miliband and Associated Newspapers escalated today. In an open letter to Lord Rothermere, he complained that a Mail on Sunday reporter was sent to his late uncle's memorial service yesterday – a move which he said "crosses a line of common decency". The editor of the paper apologised "unreservedly" and said "a full investigation is now being carried out". Labour sources say that's not enough. Our report here.

In the midst of this very public affair, a question arises. What does Mr Miliband want out of all this? It's worth remembering that – in the eyes of his supporters – perhaps the greatest political success of his career as Labour leader so far has been the closure of the News of the World, which came after a fierce battle with Rupert Murdoch and News International in the wake of the phone-hacking scandal. This was undoubtedly a key moment in the Ed Miliband vs The System narrative that his party is pushing.

Consider the way Mr Miliband has aired his complaints this week. Transparently, the aim has been to turn public opinion against the Mail using every means possible – a newspaper article, interviews, tweets and even an email to Labour supporters. (On Tuesday, they were asked to "speak up for decency in British politics" and add their name to his. Thousands did.)

No one for a second questions Mr Miliband's sincerity when he speaks of the personal hurt and upset he says has been caused to his family in recent days. But he is more than simply a private individual with a personal grievance. He's a politician – and politicians, by definition, do politics. Mr Miliband is a bold tactician, too, as the conference season has proven. Those are facts which should not be forgotten as the stakes rise in this particular dispute.

'LITTLE WEASEL'

John Bercow has been accused of behaving like an "arrogant toff" and a "little weasel" by a motorist who claims he clipped her parked car. Nathalie Pulford, 42, was dining in Chelsea, west London, when she claims she spotted Mr Bercow bump her Range Rover when he was parking his Volvo. His spokesman says: "He strongly denies that his car hit this lady's car. If she wants to raise it with her insurer, he would be more than happy to defend himself and explain what happened. But he cannot understand why she thinks he hit her car. He was simply bewildered at the time." Our report in full here.

PRICE OF PROMISES

The Tories will be cheered by Lord Ashcroft's latest private polling. "Cameron and Osborne," he says, "have established a decisive lead over Miliband and Balls on overall trust to manage the economy in the best interests of Britain." Labour will be working flat-out to counter that idea in the coming months. In an article for Telegraph Politics, Rachel Reeves, Labour's shadow chief secretary to the treasury, argues that the Coalition has made £1.6 billion in unfunded spending commitments in the past few weeks. The price-tag for David Cameron's promised land?

BLAIR ON CALL

Albania has signed up Tony Blair as an adviser and lobbyist in its uphill struggle to join the 28-nation European Union. Edi Rama, the prime minister of the formerly Communist country, said Mr Blair would be "personally, totally and voluntarily" helping his government. Mr Blair is considered to be a hero in Albania, a formerly Communist state of just three million people. He was involved in the Nato intervention in Kosovo in 1999, where ethnic Albanians were being attacked by Serb forces. Our report here.

ABORTION LAWS

The head of the country's biggest abortion provider has said the law does not need to be changed to stop women aborting their unborn baby on sex grounds. Our report here.